Built From Inside the Game.
We didn't learn recruiting from the outside. We spent years making the decisions that determined which players advanced and which did not.
Our Story
We Didn't Set Out to Start Another Hockey Advisory Company.
We set out to solve a problem we had seen for years.
We've experienced hockey from every side of the recruiting process.
As players, we competed for roster spots and opportunities. We understood what it felt like to pursue the next level and how much the right opportunity at the right time could shape a career.
Then we experienced the game from the other side.
As coaches, general managers, and scouts, we evaluated players, built teams, and made the decisions that determined who was selected and who wasn't.
Every year, we saw capable players slip through the cracks. We were trying to build the best teams possible, but you can't recruit a player you don't know about or don't know enough about.
We also spent years working with advisors from the management side of the table. We saw what effective representation looked like from a coach's perspective. We learned what earned our attention and trust, what gave us a reason to look deeper, and what caused us to move on.
Seeing recruiting from every side gave us a perspective that no single experience could.
And it taught us something important.
Being Seen and Being Recruited Are Not the Same Thing.
Talent can get a coach's attention.
But before coaches commit, they want to understand more.
Who is the player behind the performance? What will they bring to the team? Can they be trusted? Are they the right fit?
That's where recruiting opportunities can be won or lost.
Not simply in what a player can do on the ice, but in what the right coaches understand about them beyond it.
That's What We Built Align to Change.
Not just exposure. Not just a phone call and a highlight video.
We built a more deliberate approach to recruiting designed to help the right coaches see and understand the complete player.
Talent. Character. Compete level. Leadership. Coachability. Fit.
We had seen too many capable players lose opportunities, not because they lacked ability, but because the right people never knew enough about them.
We believed players deserved better representation.
So we built it.
Perspective Shapes the Process
We See Recruiting Through the Eyes of the People Making the Decisions.
Families naturally see recruiting through their player's eyes.
But coaches see it differently.
They're building teams, evaluating fit, managing risk, and deciding which players can help their programs succeed. They're deciding who they believe is worth investing in.
Understanding that difference shapes everything we do.
It influences how we evaluate and position players, the opportunities we pursue, the recommendations we make, and the conversations we have on their behalf.
Strategy Creates the Advantage
We Connect the Dots Coaches Need to See.
Every player is different. Their ability, character, goals, opportunities, development path, and fit are different.
That's why effective recruiting isn't about following the same formula for everyone.
It's about understanding the player, the market, and what coaches need, then connecting those pieces with purpose.
Our job is to build the right strategy around each player, giving coaches a reason to look deeper and creating more opportunities to advance.
Talent is developed on the ice.
Opportunity is built beyond it.
The People Behind the Perspective
Meet the Leadership.
Paul Taylor
Co-Founder | Lead Advisor
paul@alignhockey.com|+1 214.315.0637
Paul competed at the AAA, junior, NCAA Division I, and professional levels before moving behind the bench and into hockey operations.
As a General Manager and Head Coach, he built championship teams and made the recruiting decisions that shaped his rosters.
He understands how teams are built, how recruiting decisions are made, and what coaches need to know before they feel confident in a player.
He has spent years on the other side of the recruiting conversation.
Today, Paul uses that experience to help players and families navigate recruiting with greater clarity, purpose, and confidence.
Rogan Butler
Co-Founder | Lead Advisor
rogan@alignhockey.com|+1 780.709.2411
Rogan competed at the AAA and junior levels before moving into coaching and scouting.
He later served as a regional scout and Director of Scouting at the junior level, evaluating talent, identifying players for advancement, and helping build rosters across North America.
He understands what evaluators look for beyond performance, what earns a player a deeper look, and what can cause interest to grow or disappear.
He has spent years evaluating players through the eyes of the people building the roster.
Today, Rogan uses that experience to help players and families make informed decisions, position themselves effectively, and pursue meaningful opportunities to advance.
One Team. Every Client.
Every Player Gets Both of Us.
Most advisory firms have multiple advisors managing separate client lists, sometimes competing internally for the same opportunities.
At Align, Paul and Rogan share every client. There are no divided loyalties or competing agendas. When an opportunity arises, both are working to help your player pursue it.
Every relationship we've built is available to every player we represent.
When we represent you, you get all of Align.
Every Plan Starts With a Conversation.
Your goals are the starting point. Let's build the strategy around them.
Free Consultation